Such actuators may be used in a variety of fields, in particular in automotive engineering, for example in hybrid vehicles whose drive trains comprise an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. It may be advantageous for the drivetrain to be configured such that, above a certain speed, only the internal combustion engine drives the motor vehicle. In this configuration of the drivetrain, the rotational drive movement of the internal combustion engine is transmitted to a differential gear of a driven axle via a shift transmission with for example two gear stages in order to keep the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine in an efficient range.
The shift transmission may be assigned a clutch, in particular a dry clutch, for selectively connecting the internal combustion engine to the shift transmission. In many cases, the shift transmission is automated, such that a coupling of the internal combustion engine to the drivetrain and/or a gear stage change can be effected in a convenient and simple manner.
Of particular significance for reliable operation of the hybrid drive of the type described above is an actuator device by means of which the clutch described above can be actuated. Furthermore, an actuator is required which can effect a gear stage change. The two actuators must furthermore be coordinated with one another in an effective manner in order to permit automated operation.